INK: Official Site
VM was recently invited to the NYC premiere of INK, a film garnering rave reviews and loyal fans with every new showing. But considering that it doesn’t boast any big names, seems to have operated on a less-than-grandiose budget, and has yet to find a distributor, we were a bit skeptical when we found out that its plotline revolves around a complex sci-fi/fantasy web of characters, special effects, and allegorical themes. Maybe they’d pull it off…but would we believe it?
So we turned to the trailer. Not always the best indicator of what you should expect to see in the theater, it does serve a purpose, and when done right, when you find yourself still sitting there in silence after its come and gone, you know you might just have found something worth buying a ticket.
INK did just that. We still hadn’t the slightest clue what it was about (okay, we had the vaguest of notions), but we were pleasantly surprised, intrigued, and even kind of spooked.
And a testament to the reviews already circulating out there, the movie delivered.
Essentially, INK is a story about the forces of good and evil, and specifically those that come out at night, the ones we can’t see, while we’re fast asleep. One group bolsters our hopes and desires through dreams, while the other side works to manipulate our worst fears, thus, creating nightmares. And so, in the middle of the night, ensues the fight for our souls. When a young girl, Emma (played remarkably by Quinn Hunchar), is kidnapped from her bed by a grotesque, long-nosed creature in chains and rags, her protectors go to work to rescue her from an impending death. The mercenary, Ink, intends to deliver her to the Incubi, humanoid beings with distorted features projected onto plates of glass in front of their faces. If you learn one thing from this movie, let it be this: Never underestimate the creep factor of a plate of glass in front of somebody’s face. The Incubi’s presence alone is enough to give anyone nightmares.
Stylistically, the movie is a real trip. Two vivid, digitally shot worlds are created and seamlessly blended through intricate editing, lighting, and use of special effects, culminating in truly clever moments that make you wholly forget that INK is a low-budget film, shot far from the glitz of NY or LA, and acted by relative newcomers. And what at first might have seemed hazy, unanswered questions raised by enigmatic scenes, slowly begins to take shape as revelations are unfurled, adding to the already multi-layered fabric of INK.
Our gripes? Not too many. For the most part, it was only in response to areas where we saw untapped potential. Certain moments of dialogue, character exposition, and thematic importance hinged on the verge of breakthroughs that didn’t always make the leaps we had hoped. The character of the “Storyteller,” for example, plays a key role in helping Emma traverse the dreamscape world. By everyone’s reaction to her, she is clearly a powerful, all-knowing figure, but what she has done or is capable of doing is never fully revealed. If it had been, it might have made her portrayal that much more interesting and mysteriously memorable. Also, the character of John, Emma’s father, drops the F-bomb a lot. If at the end of the movie you have any doubt just how miserable he was in life, take the number of times he curses, cube it, try to place that number on a scale of 1 – 100, and you might have a rough idea.
But fortunately, INK already had us tight enough in its grip that the annoyances above were merely blips on our movie-going radar.
So with a packed theater at Cinema Village in Greenwich left thoroughly entertained, the credits began to roll. Another pleasant surprise: Besides the actors, two names occupied much of the screen—Jamin and Kiowa Winans.
As writer and director Jamin, in attendance to answer audience questions, explained to us, him and Kiowa, his wife and producer, put together much of the movie by themselves. An 83-day shoot (shot on HDV using one—just one—Sony HDV V1U camera) was followed by thousands of hours of editing in their basement, making for a total time of 14 months in post-production. Add to that the many months they’ve spent traveling and promoting the film, from Denver to Hollywood to NYC and beyond, and you have an unbelievably energetic pair who has done and will do just about anything to share INK with the world.
What about the music? Yep. Jamin did that, too. Remember that when you check out INK. If, by some weird chance of a lunar eclipse, you’re not blown away by anything else about the film, the haunting score will make sure to play in your head long after you’ve left the theater.
Check out an interview with Jamin and Kiowa Winans:
Check out where INK will be next:
http://www.doubleedgefilms.blogspot.com
And finally, if our word isn’t good enough, check out more reviews, pictures, and links.
Melissa C. Navia is the editor-in-chief of The Vigilant Monkey and can be reached at melissa@vigilantmonkey.com.